The Penny Pinchin' Mama

Wal-Mart Samples

2009-09-03T02:55:00.002-04:00

Get your FREE samples here! These always arrive in just a few weeks and a lot of times include money-saving coupons along with the sample!

Samples:
Goodnites Underpants
Fancy Feast Appetizers for Cats
HUGGIES Little Movers
NoDoz
Playtex Sport Tampons
Emergen-C (TWO Samples!)
Nicorette FREE 20ct. Starter Pack
TENA Protective Underwear

Coupons:
$1.50/1 Marie Callender's Home-Style Creations
$1.00/1 Bagel Bites (18 count is on Rollback at Wal-Mart for $2.98)

Back to School

2009-08-18T21:20:00.002-04:00

Back to School. For many of us, it is that time again. I'd like to take a few minutes and share with you some of my favorite Back to School money-saving and time-saving tips that are sure to save you some stress and cents. Your wallet will thank you!

Invest a few dollars in some reusable containers. These save the cost of rebuying sandwich bags and save on waste, too. Using plastic containers also allows you the option of sending leftovers for lunch.
If you do use sandwich bags, get the most for your money by washing them out between uses.
Do you enjoy baking? Make a big batch of cookies or muffins over the weekend and store them in your freezer in a sealed container. Then just pull a few cookies out each night for the next days lunch. Muffins can be easily thawed for a quick yummy breakfast.
Don't buy individual servings of snacks. Instead, buy the larger boxes/bags at a better price and split them yourself.
Prefill your childs juice/water bottle halfway the night before and pop it in the freezer. The next morning top it off. This keeps the drink cold and doubles as a freezer pack. It also eliminates the need for juice boxes which are much more expensive than the larger bottles of juice.
Never pay full price! Shop your grocery store's sales ad and combine them with coupons for even greater deals. Often I can get certain foods for pennies and sometimes even FREE!
Stock up on school supplies over the summer when all the great back to school sales are going on. Most school supplies don't have a shelf life, so get enough to last throughout the year. Being able to pull out a notebook in November that you bought for $.10 in July sure beats having to run up to Walmart and buying the same one for $.97!
Wait until school supplies go on clearance to pick up backpacks and lunch boxes. These can be found for up to 75% off when stores start making room for Halloween items. Here's another tip: Buy 2! Backpack straps can break halfway through the school year and many lunchboxes are left in classrooms and on the bus. These items are hard to find throughout the year at a good price since they are only sold seasonally at many stores.
Buy school clothes out of season. Pick up summer clothes for a great price in July and stock up on fall items in late September. Even better? Consignment shops and garage sales are a great option for younger children who do not care about name brands or an item being brand new.
Start or join a carpool! This will save on gas for many families at once.

What are your favorite tips?

CVS STEALS 5/24!

2009-05-23T17:54:00.007-04:00

2-Day Sale (Sunday and Monday)

Clearasil Face Wash, $3.99
-Get $3.99 ECBs
-Use $1/1 Clearasil 4/19SS
--Final cost: Better than FREE!

Revlon Nail Color, $3.99
-Get $3 ECBs
-Use $1/1 Revlon Color Cosmetic 4/26SS
--Final cost: FREE!

Playtex Gentle Glide or Sport, $3.99

-Get $3 ECBs

-Use $1/1 Playtex printable or $1/1 Playtex Tampons 3/22SS

--Final cost: FREE!

Band-Aids, $2.99

-Get $2 ECBs

-Use $1/1 Band-Aid 2/8SS or $1/1 Band-Aid 4/26RP

--Final cost: FREE!

Weekly ECB Deals

Speed Stick Deodorant, $3.99

-Get $3.99 ECBs

--Final cost: FREE!

Colgate Total Advanced, $2.99

-Get $2 ECBs

-Use $1/1 Colgate printable

--Final cost: Better than FREE!

Other Great Deals

Sobe, Gatorade or Propel, BOGO

-Use BOGO Sobe Lifewater printable

--Final cost: 2 for FREE!

Post Trail Mix Crunch, BOGO

-Use $2/1 Post Trail Mix Crunch printable

--Final cost: FREE to $.50 each!

St. Ives trial size, $1.49

-Use $1.50/1 St. Ives 5/10SS

--Final cost: FREE!

FREE Chocolate today!

2009-05-22T15:32:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder that today is Free Chocolate Friday! The first 250,000 people to sign up at www.realchocolate.com will receive a coupon in the mail for FREE chocolate! Hurry and sign up before it's gone! =)

Lowes Foods roundup 5/20

2009-05-21T23:01:00.003-04:00

Texas Pete Chili Sauce, $.75
-B1G1 free, makes it .38 each
-Use .50/3 from 5/17RP (Doubles to $1)
--Final cost : $0.13 for 3 cans!!

Nabisco Snack Crackers, $3.49
-B1G1 free, makes them $1.74 each
-Use (2) $1/1 printable HERE
--Final cost: $1.48 for 2 boxes or $0.74 each!

Kraft Shredded Cheese, $3.39
-B2G3 free, makes them $1.35 each
-Use (2) $1/2 printables HERE
--Final cost: $4.78 for 5 bags!

Kraft Barbecue Sauce, $1.65
-B2G3 free, makes them $0.66 each
-Use $1/1 printable HERE or $0.75/1 from 5/3SS or $0.35/1 peelies found on bottles
--Final cost: Better than FREE to cheap for 5 bottles!

A1 Marinades, $3.15
-B1G1 free, makes them $1.58 each
-Use $1/1 printable HERE
--Final cost: $0.58 each!

Mahatma Yellow Rice, 5 for $5
-Use $.50/1 3/1RP (Doubles to $1)
--Final cost: FREE!

FREE Oscar Meyer Beef Franks!

2009-05-20T16:03:00.001-04:00

Today only--Head HERE to register for your coupon for a FREE pack of Oscar Meyer Beef Franks! Coupon should arrive in 4-6 weeks. Good luck! =)

Kraft coupons RESET!

2009-05-18T19:39:00.000-04:00

If you missed out on all the great Kraft coupons last week, there's still hope! They've been reset! Click the coupons.com coupon bar below to print--These will go fast!

Harris Teeter Highlights 5/13

2009-05-13T16:49:00.001-04:00

Harris Teeter doubles manufacturer's coupons up to $.99 every day with a limit of 20 doubled per day. These are the best deals I see. Feel free to
comment with any additional deals and I will edit my post to
include them. :)

Kraft BBQ Sauce, 18oz - $1.69 each
Buy 2, get 3 FREE!
-Use (2) $1/1 Q's
--Final Cost: $1.38 for 5 bottles!

Kraft Shredded or Chunk Cheese, $3.39 each
Buy 2, get 3 FREE!
-Use $1/2 Kraft Natural Cheese printable
--Final Cost: $5.78 for 5 packages!

Hanover Gold Line Vegetables, $2.69 each
Buy 1, get 1 FREE!
-Use $1/2 Hanover Gold Line Frozen Vegetables, Exp 5/31/09
--Final Cost: $1.69 for 2!

Yoplait Yogurt, 10/$5
-Use $.60/6 from 5/3 SS
--Final Cost: $1.80 for 6!

Target Deals

2009-05-04T00:55:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the best deals to be had this week:

Dry Idea Deodorant, $2.00
-Use $2/1 Dry Idea Printable
--Final Cost: FREE after coupon!

V8 V-Fusion Juice, $2.99
-Use $2/1 V8 V-Fusion printable
--Final Cost: $0.99 after coupon!

SoBe Lifewater, $1
-Use BOGO SoBe printable
--Final Cost: $0.50 ea. after coupon!

Glade Fragrance Collection Soy Candles, $5.79
-Receive $5 Target Gift Card when you buy 2
-Use $4/1 Glade Fragrance Collection (SS 5/3/09)
--Final Cost: Better than free after coupons and Gift Card!

Fiber One (select products), $2.39
-Receive $5 Target Gift Card when you buy 4
-Use $1.35/1 Fiber One printable
-Use $1/2 Fiber One printable
-Use $0.75/1 Fiber One Cereal printable
--Final Cost: Better than free (MoneyMaker!) to $.64 each after Q's and Gift Card!

CVS Highlights Week of 4/19

2009-04-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

Lots of goodies at CVS :)

Bayer Aspirin Quick Release Crystals 4ct., On sale $2
-Receive $2 ECB
-Look for $1.50/1 Bayer Peelies on other Bayer products
--Final cost: FREE or $1.50 Moneymaker!

Edge Infused Hydrate or Comfort Shave Gel, $2.89
-Receive $2.89 ECB
--Final cost: FREE!

Tresemme Products, On sale 3/$10
-Use (3) $1/1 Tresemme Printable HERE
-Receive $5 ECB
--Final cost: $2 for 3 products!

Aveeno Hair and Skin Care, Many on sale for $6 and $7
-Use (4) $2/1 Aveeno Printable HERE
-Receive $10 ECB when you spend $25
--Final Cost: As low as $1.75 each!

Walgreen's Highlight Week of 4/19

2009-04-19T20:06:00.000-04:00

I didn't see much I liked at Walgreen's this week. The best finds for me are:

Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, On sale 2/$5
-Use (2) $2/1 Post Trail Mix Crunch printables HERE
--Final cost: $.50 per box!

Skintimate Shave Cream, On sale $2.99
-Receive $2.99 RR
--Final cost: FREE!

Edge Infused or Energy Shave Gel, On sale $2.99
-Recieve $2.99 RR
--Final cost: FREE!

Mitchum Antiperspirant/Deodorant, On sale $2.99
-Use $0.75/1 Mitchum expires 4/21 (SS 3/22)
-Receive $2 RR
--Final cost: $0.24!

12 Pack Soda (7 Up, A&W, Canada Dry, Hawaiian Punch or Sunkist), On sale 3/$11
-Receive $5 RR
--Final cost: $2 each

What did you find?

Thanksgiving 911!

2008-11-26T00:15:00.000-05:00

I read an article this week that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I thought I would share it with everyone with Thanksgiving being this week.

As published in PARADE:

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday full of great foods. But if you find yourself in a fix with your favorite American fixin's, don't worry. Here are some fast solutions to common Thanksgiving crises.

I UNDERCOOKED THE TURKEY

Fix it: If the bird seems undercooked, usually the breast is fully cooked while the legs need more time. Cut the breast meat off with a sharp knife and serve that. Meanwhile, put the drumsticks and thighs back in the oven at 450F.

THE STUFFING IS TOO WET

Fix it: Lay all of the stuffing out in the thinnest layer you can on a sheet pan and put it in the oven with the turkey to dry out. The thinner the layer, the faster it will dry.

IF I BOIL THE SPROUTS, THE KITCHEN SMELLS TERRIBLE

Fix it: When it comes to Brussels sprouts, brown them; don't boil them. Slice raw Brussels sprouts very thin, then brown them in a very hot pan using bacon fat or some of your turkey fat. I like to add chestnuts and lemon zest. When you brown the sprouts, they become nutty and sweet.

I FORGOT THE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Fix it: Cranberry sauce is a sweet and sour relish to complement the rich flavor of turkey. In its place, you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, whether it be frozen strawberries, canned peaches, or sliced pineapple. Process the fruit in a blender with sugar and vinegar until it is a sweet and sour combination to your liking. Your guests will think you invented a new relish.

THE GRAVY IS WEAK AND PASTY

Fix it: You always want to have extra stock on hand to make your gravy - at least one can per two people. If your gravy is too thick, add canned chicken stock. If your gravy is too thin, mix a melted tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of flour. Add it to your gravy, bring it all to a boil, and whip it.

THE TOP OF THE PUMPKIN PIE BURNED

Fix it: Burning is only skin deep, so carefully scrape the charred flakes off and top the pie with a big dollop of whipped cream.

MY MASHED POTATOES ARE SOUPY, AND I RAN OUT OF ONES TO BOIL

Fix it: Add unseasoned, canned, dry bread crumbs until the crumbs have absorbed all the excess water, milk or chicken stock you had used. It works every time.

HELP! AS ALWAYS, I MADE WAY TOO MUCH

Fix it: Bored of the second-day turkey sandwiches? For a fresh take on traditional Thanksgiving soup, you can make great dumplings out of leftover stuffing. Mix your stuffing with 3 whole beaten eggs, then let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the moisture. Use 2 tablespoons of the stuffing mixture to form each dumpling and cook for a few minutes in a simmering broth made from other on-hand ingredients--chicken stock, onion, squash, and turkey. Top with cheese once it's in the bowl and serve.

Free Dr. Pepper and more!

2008-11-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

Today only! Sign up to get a coupon for a free Dr. Pepper! Click here! Thanks, Beth!

Free sample bag of Natural Choice pet food here. Use code go4nc.

Free sample of Herbal Clear Outdoor Whole Body Deodorant here. (Could the name be any longer?!? LOL)

Coupons:

Daisy Sour Cream. Yum!
Up to $12 off of Scrubbing Bubbles products.

Walmart Deals:

Sweet Potatoes $0.25/lb.
Green Giant canned vegetables $0.50 each
Chex Cereals 3/$5.00. Use $1/2 printable coupon (if you got it while it was on the coupon printer) to make them 3/$4.

80% off at Restaurant.com

2008-11-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

Save 80% at Restaurant.com with the code SURPRISE. Pay only $2 for a $25 certificate. Code expires Thursday 11/20. Stock up now, they're valid for a year after purchase. See something you like but it's out of stock? Buy a generic certificate and redeem it for the restaurant of your choice when they come back in! These make great gifts and won't break the bank!

Coupons...my new best friend.

2008-11-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

Sunday started out all wrong.

First, I went to get my paper and they were all gone! I wasn't able to see this of course until after I'd paid my $1.50. I wound up taking the display copy after triple checking to make sure the coupon inserts were still in it--which worked out just fine, but gave me a little scare!

I had my CVS list and coupons in hand. I just needed two coupons from the Redplum insert to have myself a $0.21 shopping trip! (Plus taxes of course) THEY WEREN'T THERE! Downside of living in a smaller city. "Oh well," I thought, and the gears in my brain started turning.

I nominated Boy1 to come in and shop with me while Boy2 napped in the back and Hubs settled in and got his buck fifty out of the weekly paper. Right off the bat I saw that they were out of stock of two items I had on my list! Noooo!! All of my planning! My perfect shopping list...gone.
With quick thinking, a little luck and a lot of math, I filled my shopping cart and headed to the checkout counter.

After all the damage was done, I paid $16 for my cart of loot. I should probably mention that in that cart was a jumbo package of pull-ups that were $14.99 alone! I also got my favorite mascara, a bottle of shampoo, two bottles of mouthwash, a big box of band aids, dish soap, body wash, 2 cans of air freshener, a lighter for the grill, liquid hand soap, bottled water...am I missing anything??

The moral of today's story is: Always have a backup plan...or at least be able to come up with one quickly!

Harris Teeter Triples

2008-11-06T23:19:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is! $100 in groceries for...

$43.34!!

I feel as if I did really well, especially with only a week of coupons saved up! At least 3 items were completely free and many were $0.50 or less! The Zataran's rices were $0.16 each!! Found a bunch of organic bananas that were marked down for quick sale for $0.60--I'll save a couple for Boy2 and make banana pudding from the rest.

Hubs and Boy1 really got into it too, running around the store finding items on the list and grabbing coupons from all of the blinkies. I'm glad they enjoyed it as much as I did. I forgot a stack of coupons on my kitchen table too--good thing the sale lasts two more days!

Curious about Couponing? Check this out!

2008-11-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

Thoughtful Thursday

2008-11-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

Moments like this are what it's all about.

Harris Teeter, anyone?

2008-11-06T06:59:00.000-05:00

Harris Teeter is tripling, yes I said tripling, coupons up to $0.99 from November 6 through November 9. Up to 20 coupons tripled per day, per VIC card or household. Internet coupons are accepted but will not be doubled or tripled. Anything over 20 coupons will scan at face value.

I'm going today!!

Wal-Mart

2008-11-02T18:06:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Wal-Mart has 5-pound rolls of ground beef on sale this week for $6.50! I picked up 2 rolls today when I was out shopping for a printer (which was also on sale!). I've started using 3/4 lb. per meal instead of 1 lb. as there is barely any difference, so 12 meals worth of meat for $13 is hard to pass up!

Also, I got my Gain with Baking Soda "sample" from Wal-Mart in my mail. The "sample" is a peel-n-sniff, not an actual sample of detergent. It did however come with a $1.00 coupon, so it was still worth it even though I was disappointed. Other than that, the only freebie I got in the mail this week were some Kotex samples--Not exactly worth it's own post!

Saturday Samples!

2008-11-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

Sunsilk
Dove Hair Therapy
Metamucil Berry Burst
Degree Men
Gain with baking soda
Airborne Zesty Orange
Bear Naked Granola
Quaker Granola Bar
Fiber One Granola Bar and Cereal
Yogi Tea

Drugstore Deals

2008-10-29T01:13:00.000-04:00

I am new to couponing and the drugstore game. In fact, I only received my CVS card in the mail this weekend, so today was my first trip out to RiteAid, CVS and Walgreens. A lot of the deals I had planned were out of stock and I had ZERO coupons, but I feel like I did pretty good overall! Add the fact that I had to buy diapers, I'd have done even better. Here we go...

First stop: RiteAid

9ft. Indoor Extension Cord
$2.00 on sale
-2.00 SCR
Total Cost: FREE

Charles Worthington Dream Hair Shampoo
$6.99
-6.99 SCR
Total Cost: FREE

Suave Firming Lotion
$1.99 on sale
-2.00 SCR
Total Cost: $.01 PROFIT

Kotex Lightdays 64ct. Pantiliners
$3.00 on sale
-3.00 SCR
-1.00 coupon on box
Total Cost: $1.00 PROFIT

Adidas Men's Deodorant
$3.99
-3.00 SCR
Total Cost: $0.99

After all rebates, my total cost for this trip was nothing! I made a profit of $0.02! They were out of the Axe shower gel, 6 plug power strips and toothbrushes, but hopefully I can get in on these deals before they expire.

Next stop: Walgreens

I only had one thing on my list for Walgreens - I wanted to get in on the $1.99 laundry detergent deal. They were completely out, but I snagged a 5-pack of razors and a 4-pack of toothbrushes for $0.50 each.

Grand Total: $1.07

Last stop: CVS

I split this trip into 3 separate transactions. I spent a bit more than I would have liked, but Boy2 was almost out of diapers and diapers are expensive!

Transaction 1:
Blistex Medex, $1.50
Halls Cough Drops, 40 count, $1.50
Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom 24 count, $6.00
Sudafed PE Sinus Headache 24 count, $5.00
Children's Tylenol Plus Cold & Allergy, $6.00

Subtotal: $20.00
Deal: Spend $20 on selected meds, receive $10 ECB's
Paid: $21.35 OOP, Received $10 ECB's

Transaction 2:
Playskool Rompers Size 5 40ct, $10.99 x2

Subtotal: $21.98
Deal: Spend $20 on Playskool products, receive $5 ECB's
Paid: $10 ECB's, $11 + change OOP, Received $5 ECB's

Transaction 3:
Colgate 360 Toothbrush, 2/$4.98

Subtotal: $4.98
Deal: Spend $10 on select Colgate products, receive $4 ECB's
Paid: $5 ECB's

All in all I ended up spending 32 dollars and some change. I ended the day with no ECB's. I feel that I did pretty good for not having any coupons other than one manufacturer coupon stuck on a box of pantiliners that I didn't even notice!

What did you get this week? What do you plan to get?

Mail Call!

2008-10-28T22:00:00.001-04:00

Lots of freebies in the mail this week! First up, we have the BCBGMAXAZRIA bag that I blogged about here. Best freebie I've ever gotten!

I also got lots of free pads in the mail this week along with 2 coupons for a free package. I redeemed one of the coupons already, the box of Always Infinity pictured at the back left. Also included was a box of tampons which I likely won't use.

Boy1 received a Fruit Rollup and a pair of GoodNites sleep boxers in the mail this week. He hasn't had an accident in several months, but now he has that option if he feels like wearing them when he has company stay over.

For Hubby we have a Warm Delights Mini from Betty Crocker. Also received a card in the mail from Marlboro with a code on it for a free bottle opener. We don't smoke, but if they want to send us a bottle opener who are we to say no?

Want freebies in your mailbox, too? Click here for a list of my latest finds!

Saturday Samples

2008-10-25T18:53:00.000-04:00

Here are some great free samples I've come across this week. Look for more great deals like this every Saturday!

GoodNites Sleep Shorts
Underjams Nighttime Pants
Betty Crocker Mashed Potatoes
Free Sippy Cup
Enfamil A.R.
Enfamil Nutramigen
Enfamil Gentlease
BPA Free Bottle
Always Infinity
Carefree & Stayfree Samples
Serenity TENA Pads
Playtex Sport
Prilosec OTC
Garnier Nutritioniste Wrinkle Cream

What a Steal!

2008-10-25T01:42:00.000-04:00

My UPS guy came to my door yesterday with a package. Inside was this great bag by BCBGMAXAZRIA - It retails for $138.00. Guess how much I paid for it? NOTHING. And you can get it too! Here's the deal:

I was paid by a website to sign up for a month of Bag, Borrow, or Steal. The amount I was compensated was more than the monthly fee for the site, so I figured why not?

However, being the bargain hunter that I am, I searched the internet for coupon codes for the site before signing up. What I found was this code - LUXURY7387. It adds a $50 credit to your account, and if you use it while signing up it takes your $9.95 monthly fee from your $50 credit instead of your credit card (though you still have to enter your valid credit card information when creating an account)! This leaves you with a credit of $40.05 that you can use at the outlet center!

I found my bag on clearance for 75% off (score!), making it $35.00. Shipping was $4.95, bringing my grand total to $39.95. With my credit of $40.05, I paid absolutely nothing, and had $0.10 left. Now I can cancel my account and I'll have paid nothing OOP for my purse or my month subscription. I put the Steal in Bag, Borrow, or Steal!

On a side note, when you place your order they give you no indication that your order is being deducted from your internal funds. In fact, it prompts you to use the credit card you have on file with them as the only payment option, but it does use up your store credit first. The only reason you should have to pay anything at all is if you choose a bag over $35.00.

The bag came gift wrapped in brown tissue paper and the purse was in it's own protective holder. I'm not sure if it's the bag for me or not, so I may end up gifting it at Christmas if I decide against it. If not, there's always eBay!

EDIT: The bag I received is back in stock and has now been marked down to only $25!